What Lies Beneath
by Jinx13GXA
Summary: Zeref and Natsu were never happy children, but despite finally being free, Natsu still dies. Zeref drives himself to insanity, and the dragons have a weapon to kill him... the only problem? It requires reanimating the body of his only relative who's body survived and transforming them into a living weapon who cannot disobey. (multichap, slowburn, gratsu)updates roughly once a month
1. Prologue

Fire and ash rose from the rubble, the lives of all that once lived here gone forever. The frigid rain could not best even the embers of the black flames that ached to touch the heavens and deliver the souls of all it had touched.

This tiny, forgotten village was its first conquest, but the death magic bound flames only craved more.

As it is now, the village would be remembered only by its destroyer and his creations, and it would only be thought of as the unmarked grave of their childhood innocence they so desperately clung to.

In time, nature would take over the land, and this would become a place of solace for his eldest creation, who was not truly his creation at all. For his oldest creation was not a creation, but rather his younger brother whom he'd put back together after the death magic ripped him apart.

Their story was not meant to be happy.

It was not meant to be happy, yet they strived for it anyways.

Icarus, who flew too close to the sun, had his wings melted away so that he would crash and burn, and Zeref who brought his baby brother back from the dead would be stripped of his own life in a way far worse than death.

But this is not "their" story, for there has not been a "they" since the day the younger escaped, breathing his last breath.

This is the story of the younger brother, who bore a fate far more horrifying than the elder's.


	2. The Dragneel Household: Zeref

**_IF YOU ARE TRIGGERED BY CHILD ABUSE, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS._**

* * *

_Birthdays are supposed to be happy days._ Zeref knew this. He was three now, and he's seen the kids in their small village celebrate their birthdays multiple times now. They had cakes with candles and colorful bits of paper and presents. They got toys for their birthday! The sun would shine for them, and they'd get to play with their friends- _They have friends_.

Unfortunately that's not how it went for him. The gray sky openly wept for him and everything he would lose today as the icy chill of fall ripped through the loose boards of his family's house. The wind howled as if voicing all the pain he refused to. He wasn't allowed to speak unless spoken to anyways. He shivered in the loose robe his parents called clothing, he had no idea what was coming, not really, but he'd heard them talk about it. He also knew it involved him and that he was supposed to listen to them. That's why he was waiting here in the living room instead of the small closet he called his. _At least it's warmer here._

A larger man came into the house after his first few minutes waiting. Zeref didn't greet him. His father's rule about talking to strangers echoed in his head, "_Only speak if we tell you to, and never to a stranger we didn't introduce to you." _He has always thought it was odd, but the other adults had always said he was mature and that it was a good thing. He never got it. Not really. He ran his hands over the couch, feeling the rough texture beneath his fingertips as he continued to shiver.

"Poor little thing.. You couldn't even spare a blanket for the boy? He's pale as a ghost and on 'is way to blue, Aster," The stranger said softly. His odd accent instantly tagged him as a traveller.

"Well-" Zeref nearly jumped at the deep rumble of his father's voice behind him. He quickly fixed his posture and put his hands back in his lap. "That's what you're here for, isn't it?" His father, Aster, was a no funny business kind of person. He didn't joke, he didn't smile, and he certainly didn't ruffle Zeref's hair like he just did. _Birthdays are supposed to be happy days… So why does mine feel scary?_

His mother, Kali, sat beside him, and it took all of his will power not to reach for the warmth, "Zeref, darling… be good while we're gone okay? This man here's going to watch you for us." She sent him an icy smile that chilled him more than the wind as she stood up again, taking the warmth farther away from his grasp. She places her hand on the other man's arm, inviting him farther in, "Have fun, dears. Let's go, Aster." The room seemed to get even colder as his parents left.

"Honestly…" The stranger's nose turned upwards as if he was disgusted. He slipped his coat off and dropped it over Zeref's shoulders, causing the smaller boy to flinch. He closed his eyes and sat still, waiting for the inevitable punishment for showing weakness, but it never came. "Aw, now there's no reason to flinch over a coat… though it is a bit heavy, so it may have surprised you is all."

Zeref cracked his eyes back open, not understanding why he wasn't hit. He still didn't dare to ask. He didn't trust him.

The older man laughed joyfully, "Warm yourself up there for a bit. I'll make food." He smiled softly and nothing could really stop Zeref's instincts from screaming at him, but he wrapped himself in the coat anyways, relishing in the heat it gave off. He watched him warily from the corner of his eye as he cooked, disguising it as staring at the wall. "You stare like you don't trust me."

He doesn't.

The smell of food causes his stomach to rumble, and Zeref nearly winces at the noise. "It'll be done soon, kiddo. Just wait a bit." He hides himself in the coat more. It takes what feels like hours as he hears the stove click off, but he still refuses to let himself be happy over it. "Come to the table, kid. I've already made you a bowl."

He walks into the kitchen carefully, not daring to let himself appear eager or make too much noise. _He'll hit me if I do._ He doesn't touch the food even after he sits down.

"Now surely they've taught you table manners! It's rude to refuse food from those who give it to you!" he smiled at Zeref, and that was what broke him. He never noticed that the man's smile didn't meet his eyes.

He carefully picked up the spoon and dug into the warm soup, unable to remember the last time he had a hot meal, and the man watched him eat, not looking away once. "Enjoying it?" he asked, and Zeref only nodded as he kept shoving more in. "Slow down now, you'll choke on it." He didn't listen, and the man only laughed. They were both smiling now.

Once he was done, he looked up at the nameless person who had been kind to him, intent on thanking him for the best birthday he'd ever had. Unfortunately he wouldn't get that chance. "Stand up for me would you?" He obeyed without hesitation, and the man took his coat back, hanging it on a rack by the door. "You're such a skinny thing… makes you all the easier to manipulate and break." All of the gentle kindness had disappeared, and before he could blink there was a fist slamming into his stomach.

Everything Zeref had eaten spilled back out of his lips and on to the floor, the stomach acids burning his throat and nose. He sat on his knees, arms protectively covering his abdomen as the vomit soaked into the thin robe. He continued to cough and choke on his own spit for a minute, finally looking up at him wearily once he was confident he could be quiet.

"Aw, what happened to that pretty smile? Did you lose it when you lost your food?" The laugh that escaped him was full of pure joy as he kicked Zeref's side with enough force to send him skidding. "Fuck that feels good. You have no idea how much fun it was to string you along, do you, little Zeref?" His foot connected with Zeref's side once more, forcing him into the corner of the room. "How nice it was to see you smile… and how absolutely _satisfying_ it was to watch it all vanish in an instant."

Zeref refused to look away from the floor. He had been wrong. He had been entirely wrong, and now he didn't know what to do besides sit there and take it. _Dad hits harder anyways._

"Ah, you were so convinced that I would help you, or maybe even love you… sadly you aren't pretty enough to be my type, but you work as a great punching bag."

By the time he's satisfied, the beginnings of bruises are already popping up across his arms and stomach, and the sun has long since dipped below the skyline. He heard the lock on the door rattle then open, and his parents stepped back inside. He could smell the alcohol on them from his place in the floor.

Aster took one look at the kitchen and nearly snarled, "Did you make a mess, you fucking brat?"

Zeref didn't respond. Fear had seized his body in its icy grip, and there was no longer any chance of getting away. _And there never will be._

"Clean it up. _Now_," His mother hissed. She had always been the scarier one to anger, but no matter how many times he told himself to move, his body refused to listen. He heard her heels click on the floor, and he tried to duck his head beneath his arms, but Kali was faster. She held his hair in an iron grip as she drug him over to the pile of vomit on the floor. She dropped him in it without a second thought. "I said, _Clean it._ If it's not spotless by morning, I will throw you out of this house myself."

Aster pulled her away gently, "Now now dear, he just earned us fifteen gold coins, so let's leave him to clean instead of making those pretty bruises any worse for now, alright?" He smirked as Kali seemed to relent, "Now come along, I have a surprise for you~"

Zeref didn't dare move a muscle until after he heard their bedroom door's lock click shut, his parents now guaranteed to be "busy." He cleaned everything up to the best of his ability before going to curl up in front of the couch for the night, a dull ache in his chest from the impacts. Though he dare not make a sound, if anyone were in the room with him, they'd easily see the words he was slowly mouthing as he swayed to a tune only he heard.

_Happy birthday to me… Happy birthday to me… Happy birthday dear Zeref… Happy birthday… to me…_

* * *

**_Hi, I originally wanted to do this entire story as about 15 long chapters, however I eventually decided it was best to split it up. I know I haven't posted since August, and you're more than welcome to yell at me for that, but with college, the fact that angst is not my forte, and the fact that this is a difficult thing to write in general, it's taking me a lot longer than I ever wanted it to. I'm doing my best guys, and I would genuinly appreciate any feedback you're willing to give me. Again, I'm so, so sorry for how long these first few chapters are going to take me, but I'm genuinly struggling to write them. I'll get them to you ASAP though._**

**_I love all of you guys, and hopefully I'll have time to post some more things before the start of 2020 and the end of this lovely decade. _**

**_-Jinx_**


End file.
